The increasing number of calls made to emergency medical communication centres (EMCCs) and emergency medical services (EMS) represents a challenge among welfare states. 1-4 In Finland, EMCCs, organized by the national dispatch authority, handle about 2.7 million emergency calls and dispatch about 750000 EMS missions annually. The dispatch protocols for EMS are primarily designed to identify patients who require emergency care, but assessing nonurgent situations often fails. 4-6 In the Finnish integrated EMCC system, the dispatchers assess all emergency calls (made by dialling 112) for police, EMS and fire and rescue services, and they dispatch all necessary units. EMCC personnel must complete 18 months of formal vocational education, but they do not have the status of a health care professional. Recent studies have shown that approximately 40% of the patients encountered by

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